SCO reveals swarming UAV test

Interesting technology, but wouldn't they be vulnerable to electronic defences, like interrupting their comms and / or frying their electrical systems?

An enemy missile could probably fire off electronic countermeasures into the heart of the swarm and disable most or all of them at once.

a reply to: MysterX

It would be traveling too fast to loiter in the area. The swarm would continue their last instructions and wait until the missile was out of range, which wouldn't be long. Unless it was an HPM, which would require a cruise missile, an EW system wouldn't power them off.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Hmmm...that demo animation shows the drones loitering a fair bit to my eyes...but if you say so mate.

The ECM wouldn't necessarily have to destroy the drones, just cause them to reset to the previous waypoint / mission objective, which essentially ought to negate the immediate threat from them, as they would 'lose interest' in the current target and proceed to the previous or next target, which again can be covered by ECM...i assume at any rate.

a reply to: MysterX

They were loitering because that was the mission. A missile couldn't loiter tightly enough to stay in the area with them. As soon as it left the area the EW effects would stop. There are ways around communications jamming when everything is in that small of an area. And being a dispersed brain, it's harder to confuse them than a normal uav. There are ways it could be done, but it won't be easy.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Oh what a wicked web we weave.

Not easy, by any means i agree...but what about an EW missile based along the same drone technology lines?

They'd be able to loiter for at least as long as the swarm does...an EW missile dispersing it's own mini drones could either use EW methods to disable / reset / confuse the swarm, or else detonate in close proximity to the individual swarm drone it locked onto...either way, in reality any EW method would probably only have to confuse the swarm for a limited amount of time anyway, espeically so if the original swarm target was a fast moving vehicle such as a fighter...by the time the interruption to the swarm's mission is countered, the target would be long gone wouldn't it?

Fixed ground targets wouldn't be able to make a fast getaway admittedly, but if using a G2A EW missile packed with micro-hunter killer drones, they wouldn't have to get away.

a reply to: MysterX

It would require something like Tacit Rainbow to loiter in the area, and that required a fairly large area to circle. At some point at least part of the swarm is going to be out of range.

Self healing for a swarm might mean the ones knocked out would have their mission picked up by one or more of the others. Like electricians do when they run 50 wires through a conduit they run 55 for spares or future use. Cheap price send more than you need.